tags: [] - coffee/brewing - coffee/brewing/water aliases: - Mineral water recipes coffee - Coffee water recipe - Custom coffee water

DIY Water Recipes¶

Tags: #coffee/brewing #coffee/brewing/water Aliases: Mineral water recipes coffee, Coffee water recipe, Custom coffee water Related: Water in Coffee MOC | Water Standards | Ideal Water for Coffee | Magnesium in Coffee Water | Calcium in Coffee Water Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

DIY water recipes for coffee involve adding precisely measured mineral salts to distilled or reverse osmosis water to create a custom brewing water with a defined mineral profile. This approach gives the coffee professional or enthusiast complete control over water chemistry, enabling replication of ideal SCA water parameters or experimentation with different profiles to complement specific coffees. Common DIY approaches range from simple two-ingredient recipes (Epsom salt + potassium bicarbonate) to complex multi-mineral formulations targeting specific magnesium, calcium, alkalinity, and chloride levels.

Why DIY Water Recipes?¶

Municipal water rarely matches the SCA water targets out of the tap — it typically has too much alkalinity, incorrect hardness ratios, or chlorine. Treatment options include: - RO + remineralisation with a commercial cartridge (convenient but limited control) - RO + DIY mineral addition (maximum control, repeatable) - Blending municipal water with RO or distilled water (reduces problems proportionally)

DIY mineral water recipes address the source directly: start with completely pure water (distilled or RO) and build the water from scratch to precise targets.

Core Ingredients¶

Mineral salt	Ions contributed	Primary purpose
Magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄·7H₂O — Epsom salt)	Mg²⁺, SO₄²⁻	Extraction efficiency, brightness
Calcium chloride (CaCl₂·2H₂O)	Ca²⁺, Cl⁻	Body, crema, sweetness enhancement
Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃)	K⁺, HCO₃⁻	Alkalinity (with less sodium than NaHCO₃)
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃ — baking soda)	Na⁺, HCO₃⁻	Alkalinity; adds sodium sweetness effect
Magnesium bicarbonate (prepared)	Mg²⁺, HCO₃⁻	Alkalinity + magnesium simultaneously

Well-Known Water Recipes¶

Barista Hustle / Scott Rao Recipe (Colonna-Dashwood & Hendon)¶

Targets approximately: - ~85 mg/L Mg²⁺ from magnesium bicarbonate concentrate (as CaCO₃ equivalent) - ~40 mg/L alkalinity - TDS ~150 mg/L

The Barista Hustle recipe uses a concentrate approach: prepare stock solutions of minerals at high concentration, then add precise volumes to a litre of distilled water.

Third Wave Water¶

A commercial product — dissolvable mineral packets calibrated for either espresso or classic profile. Contains a pre-measured mix of magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate. Designed for convenience — dissolve in 1 gallon (3.78 L) of distilled water.

Simple Two-Ingredient Recipe¶

A minimal approach for beginners: - Epsom salt (MgSO₄·7H₂O): Provides magnesium for extraction - Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃): Provides alkalinity

To 1 litre of distilled water, add: - Epsom salt: ~0.3 g/L → approximately 30 mg/L Mg²⁺, 37 mg/L SO₄²⁻ - Potassium bicarbonate: ~0.15 g/L → approximately 45 mg/L HCO₃⁻ (~37 mg/L as CaCO₃)

Result: ~150 mg/L TDS, ~35–40 mg/L alkalinity as CaCO₃, low sodium, moderate magnesium. Suitable starting point for filter coffee.

Working Safely with Mineral Concentrations¶

Because mineral salts are highly concentrated relative to the small amounts needed, working from stock solutions is the standard approach: 1. Prepare a stock solution (e.g., 10 g/L or 1 g/100 mL of each salt in distilled water) 2. Use a precision syringe or dropper to add precise millilitre volumes to a litre of water 3. Verify result with EC/TDS meter; fine-tune if required

Key Facts¶

DIY water recipes build coffee water from distilled or RO water by adding mineral salts in precise amounts
Core ingredients: Epsom salt (MgSO₄·7H₂O) for Mg²⁺; calcium chloride for Ca²⁺/Cl⁻; potassium or sodium bicarbonate for alkalinity
Magnesium is the preferred hardness source for brightness; calcium for body and crema
Alkalinity target ~40 mg/L as CaCO₃; TDS target ~150 mg/L
Working from stock solutions enables precise small-volume additions; verify with TDS meter

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-04-28	Note created

This article is part of All-About-Coffee.com - The comprehensive coffee knowledgebase.